Enter Sandman
by A-J-aria
Summary: Five times Kaname Kuran had to deal with a sleeping Zero and the one time he woke up. ONESHOT Kaname/Zero


**A/N: I've never actually posted any VK fic on FF. net before despite having been a part of the fandom for over seven years – and you'll see why when you read this. I'll warn you that it probably should have been more drawn out and though I tried to keep them IC, I probably failed horribly, lbr. Seeing as this is my first time writing these characters, I wanted to do a simple one-shot which ended up being anything but simple so I kind of shot myself in the foot with that, I suppose.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own Vampire Knight or its characters. Also, all my writing is un-betaed and any and all mistakes are mine. Feel free to point them out if you notice anything.**

(1)

The first noise to greet him as the gates of the Moon Dorm opened, were that of the fangirls, seemingly rowdier than usual much to the dismay of the Night Class students. Kaname caught eyes with a struggling Yuuki who was trying to keep the excited girls and boys of the Day Class at bay. Try being the key word. As the crowd surged forward, the brunette prefect blew on her whistle, spreading her legs further apart to distribute her weight and prevent herself from falling.

He sent her a sympathetic glance at having to deal with all of the girls on her own, feeling a brief sense of irritation as he noticed the severe lack of a certain silver-haired prefect on the grounds. As much as he may adore Yuuki, he knew very well that she did little to keep the Day Class girls back and was hardly as effective as the hunter at this part of her prefect's duties. So on days like this, when the hunter was nowhere to be found, it was glaringly obvious that his presence was greatly needed.

The pureblood gracefully strode over to the small brunette who was being shoved by an angry group of girls holding their phones in the attempt to get a picture of their favorite Night Class student. The girls all but froze in place as he neared and although not one to seek attention, he had to admit that it did wonders for the vampire's own ego. He set a steadying hand on Yuuki's shoulder, and the girl flushed under his touch. "Is everything alright, Yuuki?" He greeted warmly, concern tinging his gaze.

Yuuki backed away, flustered at the sudden closeness of her favorite pureblood. "It's all under control, Kaname-senpai!" She tried to assure, though being incredibly unconvincing.

"I'm sure," he replied sardonically. "Is Kiryuu-kun not able to help with your duties today?" He asked, a slight hint of criticism tinging his voice.

Yuuki seemed all but oblivious to it however as her lips turned upwards in amusement. "Mm," she hummed, lips pursed as she tried not to giggle. "Zero has detention," to which the pureblood merely raised a brow in question. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised. "Which he got because he was caught sleeping in detention." Her eyes twinkled in amusement, and Kaname found his own lips twitching upwards in response as well. The look in Yuuki's eyes said that even despite her current struggles, it was all worth it just for the complete irony of it all.

"Ah, I see," he said simply, composed once more, "then do try not to push yourself too hard, Yuuki." He looked at her fondly before he turned away, heading towards the school building where the rest of Night Class was waiting, feeling a sense of relief as the doors behind him closed to stifle the noise of the Day Class that couldn't help but grate on his more advanced vampire-hearing. That was a part of his day that he could surely do without.

Kaname frowned as he noticed the night class was gathered around the entryway to their classroom, but not heading inside. "Is something wrong, Ichijou?" he asked, making his way forward and wondering why the sudden hesitance to head inside. The Night Class president's eyes immediately fell on the source of the problem as a silver-haired prefect was currently slumped over the desk, asleep, causing the pureblood to raise a brow at the surprising sight.

Apparently, the prefect was still in detention, however, the teacher holding it tonight was nowhere to be found. Likely giving up after unsuccessfully trying to wake the sleeping ex-human. If a group of vampires standing outside the classroom hadn't woken him up yet, he doubted just about anything else _could_ at the moment.

"Takuma," the pureblood spoke up to his friend and Vice-President who stood next to him, face equally amused as the hunter was still deeply asleep despite the enormous vampire presence in the building (although the furrow in his brow indicated he sensed them still, even in deep sleep). "I believe class will be taking place in room 104 today. It appears Kiryuu-kun is greatly in need of his sleep."

Ichijou's grin grew as he peeked in at the hunter who was only just now starting to stir. "I agree. Leave it to me," he offered gently before herding the class to the room further down the hall. Kaname stayed behind, watching as the hunter's face slowly relaxed into a more serene expression as the presence of vampires faded away, and then left, before he, too, could disturb what is obviously a much-needed nap.

(2)

"So, Zero," Kaito spoke in a voice that promised nothing but trouble. "How many drinks does it take for your vampire-metabolism to get shit-faced?" The hunter's eyes held a hint of challenge, the implication ' _You still can't hold up against me'_ incredibly clear and not lost on Zero for a second.

"More than enough to drink you under the table," the hunter challenged back, rising to the bait Kaito laid out as Yagari, who stood between the two debated on whether or not to intervene. His own curiosity at his apprentice's previous question, however, winning out on his good sense to stop his underage student from getting drunk on a school night. Because really, when else would they be able to answer this question without it sounding like the start of a lame joke:

 _How many shots does it take to get a vampire drunk?_

The voices of the two hunters carried over to where Kaname was engaged in an amicable conversation the Chairman. He couldn't help but sigh internally as he was sure this was not what Cross had intended when he first insisted on having a "family dinner", but he supposed this group was hardly what one would classify as a typical family either.

"Zero," Yuuki's voice held a hint of warning in it, but Zero paid her no mind as he reached into Cross's liquor cabinet, much to the dismay of the Chairman who quickly made his way over to admonish the young hunter for 'underage drinking' and lamenting over how his delinquent son knew where his father kept the alcohol.

Zero rolled his eyes at the man's antics. "Cross, I literally used the alcohol in here to make the cake for tonight's dinner." That was hardly the actions of a delinquent.

The Chairman's eyes brightened at that. "Ah! That's right, I nearly forgot!" The ex-hunter quickly fled to the kitchen to fetch said dessert, and Zero, taking advantage of his adoptive father's absence, quickly filled up the first round of shots.

"Kiryuu-kun, are you sure that's wise?" Kaname finally spoke up from where he had been observing the spectacle.

"Put up or shut up, Kuran," Zero glared, as he slid a shot down to the vampire and Kaname couldn't help but think on how the prefect would have made an excellent bartender as he knocked back his drink, face unchanging. Human alcohol could hardly hold up against a pureblood's own superior metabolism, going through him like water.

"Poor guy can't even get drunk," Kaito glanced over at him pityingly as he knocked back his third shot of tequila, clearly getting more loose-tongued the more he drank. Yagari had taken to pouring the drinks, acting as the unofficial referee of this competition and Yuuki had huffed at the immature antics of her adoptive brother and went back to the living room. The pureblood briefly considered joining her, but he found himself glued to the spot as he watched Zero's face take on a slight flush as he too, got drunk (although not nearly as fast as Takamiya-san).

-..-..-

"Kiryuu-kun is quite the cook," Kaname commented absently as he took another bite of the cake the prefect had made earlier to which the Chairman and Yuuki eagerly agreed. The hunter in question was currently slumped against the couch, Kaito looking no better at his side.

"I raised a coupl'a morons," Yagari sighed as he hovered over the two idiots curled next to each other.

"I can't wait until he has to wake up for class tomorrow," Yuuki crouched near him. Kaname, too, made his way over and stared at the hunter's flushed face, feeling pity for the hangover Zero would likely be sporting tomorrow.

Yagari sighed, running a hand through his dark hair before bending down and hauling Kaito over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. He grunted under the hunter's weight, but seemed to hold up well regardless. "Well, I s'ppose I'll take this one back to his place. And Kuran," the elder hunter addressed, gesturing towards Zero with a nod of his head, "get him to his room in one piece." He fixed him with a look that implied some serious bodily harm should so much as a scratch come to his former student.

Kaname blinked, surprised that the hunter would even let the pureblood within ten feet of his protege, however he nodded at the request that sounded more like a demand coming from the hunter's teacher. He supposed he was the only logical choice here as it was either Yuuki who could barely carry her own weight or Cross who just... _no_. "I'll make sure Kiryuu-kun gets back to his dorm safely," he said as he bent down and moved the prefect's arms to rest on his shoulders so he could carry him piggyback.

Yagari, seemingly satisfied, left with his apprentice over his shoulder with one last warning glare at Kaname while the Chairman happily saw them off. Evidently, it seemed that any family dinner with no actual blood being spilled was a good one in Kaien's eyes.

Kaname left soon after, Zero bouncing lightly against his back as he walked the familiar campus of Cross Academy towards the Day Class dorms. The hunter's form pressed gently against him and Kaname was surprised at just how light he was and the warmth that radiated from him.

He felt, more than heard Zero stir against him and tensed slightly at what would surely be an unpleasant reaction from the teen upon the realization of just who it was that was carrying him. And yet, always the one to do exactly the opposite of what those expected of him, the hunter simply leaned his head against the vampire's shoulder.

"Thanks," he mumbled against Kaname's shoulder, his breath tickling the hair that lay against his neck as the pureblood studiously kept his gaze from drifting to the form that suddenly felt all too hot against him. "Not bad for'a v'mpire," he mumbled, causing the pureblood to grin. A few moments passed before he spoke again, words appearing to be quite the challenge for the drunk teen. "Still a bit'o a douche though."

"Thank you, Kiryuu," Kaname let out a warm chuckle, the soft rumble of his chest gently lulling the prefect back to sleep as he let himself be carried away.

(3)

"Senpai?" Yuuki asked, surprised at seeing the pureblood out in broad daylight whilst the Day Class was still going on. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm just getting back from a meeting with the Chairman," Kaname said simply to which Yuuki let out a small "ooh" in understanding. His eyes were squinting ever so slightly in the bright sunlight, but he tried to pay it no mind. As much as he didn't want to inconvenience Cross, the pureblood had to admit that he absolutely loathed meeting with the man in the middle of the day like this. The sun hurt his eyes and he was positively exhausted as he had yet to get any sleep.

"You wouldn't have happened to run into Zero while you were with the Chairman, did you senpai?" She asked, turning her head slightly in question.

"Is Kiryuu not with you?"

"Uh uh," she shook her head, frowning slightly. "He's probably just skipping again, but I -" she trailed off, debating as to whether or not to say her next words. "I have to go to class, but uh – on your way back to the Moon Dorm if you – if you don't mind – " she stuttered, face growing slightly embarrassed at her lack of eloquence in front of her beloved pureblood.

"You want me to check up on him," Kaname finished for her to which the girl smiled sheepishly.

"If it's not too much of a bother," she was quick to add and the vampire just smiled fondly as he gently laid a hand upon the girl's hair. She smiled up at him gratefully and blushed under the attention. "Akito-sensei will chew him out if he misses class again," she said by way of explanation.

"Not to worry, I will make sure Zero-kun makes it to class in time." And seemingly assured, Yuuki grinned up at him and hastily ran off to class as the first bell rang, letting out a rushed 'thankyousomuchbyekanamesenpai' as she all but sprinted to her class. The pureblood wanted to assure her that it was no inconvenience at all, that he would do anything for her – both of which were true, but he couldn't help seeking out the hunter for his own selfish interests, long catching himself trying to sense the other's presence more and more often lately.

Perhaps it was the fact that Zero was drinking his blood, or more likely, it was the fact that Zero had already been on his mind since the other night. Either way, it was easy to sense the prefect's presence, and Kaname soon found himself by the stables, completely unsurprised that he should find the hunter here of all places.

The large doors to the stables were wide open, and from where he stood the vampire could see the hunter resting in a giant pile of hay by his favorite horse. He watched from the shade of a tree, leaning against the bark as he hid his presence so as not to agitate the sensitive animal beside the sleeping prefect who was only all too eager to throw a fit when the pureblood was near.

He sighed as he leaned his weight against the tree. He should probably go in there and wake Zero up and get him to class, but found himself as reluctant to do so just about as reluctant as Kaname was to leave. From where he stood, the hunter looked more at peace than the pureblood has ever seen him and he was surprised at how different it made Zero look. Surely, what with his prefect duties, school, and hunter missions all mixed together, he could use a small break. So instead of getting him up as he had promised his dear Yuuki, he closed his eyes for a moment as he let the breeze cool him off in the shade.

-..-..-

"Kuran?" The voice hovering from somewhere above him startled the vampire out of his nap. "Why are you here?" There was a hint of suspicion in his voice, but also a hint of something else that the brunette couldn't quite detect in his bleary post-nap haze.

Blinking his eyes open, Kaname looked up at the prefect, squinting at the light that hit him, but finding that it wasn't bothering him as much as it had been earlier. He found himself surprised that it was nearly dusk when but a minute ago, it was only noon. "I – " The brunette paused, embarrassed at having been caught dozing off like that and finding himself at a bit of a loss at the mirth that danced in the lilac eyes that stared down at him. He ran a hand through his mussed hair and looked up at the hunter down from where he had slumped against the tree. "It appears that I fell asleep," he stated simply, falling back to his usual composure which evidently did not have the same effect as usual what with the grass stains now staining his white Night Class uniform.

"No shit," Zero replied, his lips twitching upwards so that Kaname found himself chuckling lightly in return. He thought that was that and he and the hunter would go their separate ways once more. Instead, however, Zero just plopped himself down next to the pureblood, arms folded behind his head as he looked up at the vampire as if daring him to comment on his behavior.

The brunette said nothing, instead turning his attention to the setting sun and simply enjoying the cool breeze on his skin. He quite enjoyed this companionable silence, it was rare that he got to be in someone's company and not feel the need to put on a front. After a few minutes, however, Zero was the first one to break the silence.

"You should see your killer sunburn." To which his only response was an exasperated groan.

(4)

"Shit, Kaname," Zero swore, completely unaware that he used the vampire's first name as he fell to his knees beside the pureblood who was clutching at his side, nursing what would surely be a fatal wound to most vampires. He wrapped an arm around the vampire's chest, hoisting him up and moving his arm to look at the wound, hissing as the hunter charm engraved on the pureblood's chest sent a jolt of electricity that both men felt.

He wasn't sure how this happened, but the charm was unlike that of any hunters in the area he knew of, so whoever it was was clearly here to start shit. Zero was tempted to go after them, find who they were and what they wanted. However, he knew that if he went in pursuit of the culprit now, Kaname would surely die. And he was having none of that.

He looked at his master, giving him a firm look that spoke more than words ever could. "I got him, sensei," he said as he pressed his hands against the wound to staunch the flow of blood, ignoring the jolts of pain it sent through his body in response. Yagari looked as if he wanted to say something, but resisted as he simply nodded at his student and wasted no time in following the trail of the hunter who had broken just about every law concerning hunting vampires in the book by trying to kill the pureblood who was currently the leader of a coexistence movement between vampires and humans.

Zero looked down at the vampire in his arms. The brunette's eyes were blazing red and his fangs were protruding past his lips although he was currently too weak to do anything with them. His hands at the moment were more talon-like than they were human, and they jerked about as if trying to attack the invisible invader that was currently poisoning his blood.

The hunter mumbled words in latin, then mumbled them backwards, repeating them, trying anything to get rid of this fucking charm – and honestly, what the fuck is that sigil? The vampire below him blinked blearily up at him with blood red eyes and Zero took it as a sign that at least he wasn't completely dead yet. "Kaname, look up at me," the hunter directed, setting one hand on his cheek and sighing in relief as he finally, _finally_ was able to get rid of the damn charm and the vampire's healing finally began kicking in. "You have to drink, Kaname."

He adjusted the pureblood gently so as not to agitate the healing wound any worse than it already was. Although he doubted that were possible. Zero curled his arms around Kaname's back, one hand resting on the back of the brunette's head as he tilted his head in order to allow the vampire access to his neck.

That was all the urging Kaname needed as he sank his teeth harshly and desperately into Zero's neck, taking large gulps of the blood that was currently saving his life. Though not completely in his right mind, the pureblood could still sense the ex-human's pain and fear from the bite thrumming in his blood and subconsciously adjusted himself so as not to hurt him further. One hand moved softly to stroke the silver locks, while the other held the hunter closer to him so that Zero quickly found himself relaxing into the bite.

When Kaname's senses first started coming back, he began registering several things at once. The first, was that of the sweet, sweet liquid in his mouth, quite unlike anything he's tasted before. And the second, was that of the weak struggles of the man in his arms as he feebly tried to push the pureblood away before the vampire could drain him of all his blood. "Ka-na.. me," the voice said brokenly, between breaths.

And that brought the brunette back to his senses as he – completely horrified at what he'd done and had been about to do – quickly retracted his fangs from the pale neck before him and gazed at the bleeding hunter in his arms.

"Thank god," Zero mumbled as he blearily looked up at the male who cradled his head between his hands ever so gently. "You so owe me for this," were his last words before promptly falling forward into the pureblood's chest.

"Zero?!" Kaname spoke startled, as he quickly noted that the silver-haired hunter was indeed still breathing. He let out a sigh of relief at the small revelation and rested his head against the chest of the man in his arms, listening to the softly beating heart below him and the small, shallow breaths he took as he slept off quite-literally the most draining experience he's ever had.

(5)

It had been several days after the incident and Kaname had been on his way to his night classes – fully healed thanks to a certain hunter's life-saving blood – when he sensed a presence in the Moon Dorms that he had become quite familiar with over the past months. He already knew who it was and the Moon Dorms were all but empty as the rest of the Night Class students attended class. Though he knew he too should be attending, the brunette found that he couldn't care less as he as quick to follow the aura he sensed into the Moon Dorms' library archives.

The hunter was hunched over a stack of books doing what looked like some intense research as his notes were scattered all over the table across several open books.

Zero quickly looked up as he noticed Kaname's presence in the room and nodded slightly in greeting before the vampire made his way further into the library and sitting himself down across from the prefect.

Kaname studied the man before him, noting with a pang of guilt, the bandages still wrapped around Zero's neck that he tried to hide with his uniform's collar but still stood out starkly against his pale skin. He knew that he had almost killed Zero what with all the blood he took, but the fact that his vampire-healing had yet to kick in after several days really made it hit home.

"It's not your fault, you know," Zero spoke up, startling Kaname out of his brooding and self-admonishing. Lavender eyes that held a rarely seen gentleness in them met his own burgundy ones, lacking the anger and judgment he expected to find in them. His hand reached out across the small table to hover over the bandaged neck, but he stopped himself, just short, and Zero glared at him. "I won't break, Kaname," he said sternly. "I'm fine."

"Zero, there's no excuse for what I – "

"Yeah there is," Zero was quick to interrupt. "You were dying."

"I lost control. I shouldn't have."

"You were _dying_ ," the hunter emphasized, sending an irritated glare at the brunette. "Losing control like that? I get it, and you would have died if you hadn't." And Kaname was stunned to find acceptance of his vampiric nature from the _ex-human hunter_ of all people. But he was quickly coming to learn that nothing about Zero was what he had expected.

And he found himself completely taken with that aspect of the hunter. "I... Thank you, Zero," was all he could manage to say before the two lapsed into silence, something in the atmosphere that neither party was quite ready to address.

After a few moments of tense silence, the pureblood cleared his throat awkwardly. "So what exactly is all this?" He asked, shifting gears to a less heavy topic and gesturing to the books and notes scattered about the table.

Zero shifted, rubbing at his bandaged neck absently, grateful for the change of subject. "The hunter that got away that day wasn't one of ours, I know that for certain. He used a charm the likes of which I've never seen before and when I tried to dispel it, it wouldn't work," he explained, his voice taking on a frustrated tone as he thought about how it had been nearly impossible to get rid of the charm that had been slowly killing the pureblood.

"Then allow me to help you in your search," Kaname said simply, reaching over to one of the piles of books and opening it up. Zero looked like he was about to protest, but Kaname simply raised an inquisitive brow that stopped any words he was about to say in its tracks.

"Shouldn't you be in class, Kuran?" Zero spoke sardonically, making the pureblood smirk back at him.

"I would, but I think my teacher hates me," he quipped back with a grin to which Zero simply rolled his eyes before going back to his notes. Of course Kaname's teacher hates him. It _is_ Yagari-sensei, after all.

The two lapsed into a comfortable silence after that. Neither saying much other than talking about some interesting findings here and there, and Kaname found himself enjoying the company greatly, even if all they were doing was looking through books that smelled older than he was. And well, that was saying something considering just _how_ old the vampire really was.

Time flew by as the two got lost in their research. Kaname wasn't sure how much time had passed when he flipped the page of the current book he was perusing on different hunter clans before he spotted a familiar sigil drawn on the page. "Zero, I think I fou –" The brunette trailed off as he noticed the silver-haired hunter resting his head on his notes, hair falling softly across his face. Kaname smiled gently as he took comfort in the fact that apparently Zero trusted him enough to let his guard down like this in his presence.

Marking the page off in the book in his hands (as it was surely the lead Zero had been looking for), Kaname set the old text down before getting up and making his way over to the hunter. He ran his fingers softly through the silver locks and noted how Zero didn't even stir at the touch. Then, reaching one arm under his knees, and the other across his back, the vampire lifted the prefect up into his arms, deciding that the library of a dormitory full of vampires was no place for the ex-human to rest. Even if it _was_ Kaname at his side.

For a moment he debated on whether or not to carry the hunter back to his own dorm before quickly deciding against it. His room was far closer and definitely far enough away from the rest of the Night Class that Zero wouldn't be woken unnecessarily. That was what Kaname told himself as he carried the sleeping prefect up to his room.

(+1)

Kaname held the still body in his arms, desperately, _desperately_ trying to find a pulse – a sign of life. _Anything_. But the hunter lay unmoving in his arms.

"Zero,"

Kaname spoke the name as he held Zero's head against his neck urging him to drink despite the way his head simply lolled to the side. The pureblood looked up at the rogue hunter responsible for this. " _You_ ," he hissed, fangs growing and eyes turning blood red at the sight of the man who now, powerless thanks to the ex-human's efforts, quaked with fear. "You did this." His used his abilities to throw the man to the ground and hold him there – increasing the pressure until the man could barely breathe. He wanted to tear him apart with his own hands, wanted to rip his heart out for hurting Zero, he wanted to watch him bleed as the vampire crushed his insides and ripped through him with his teeth. But he also couldn't let go of the hunter who lay there, in his arms, oh so still.

"Kuran – Kuran! _Stop_ ," Yagari's gruff voice broke through his angered haze. "You can't kill him yet." The _yet_ heavily implied in his words. "We need to find out what he knows."

"He killed Zero," the vampire hissed.

"He's not dust yet, kid. Save him, do... I don't fucking know - whatever it is you do. _Just fucking do it_." The normally gruff hunter fixed his one eye on Kaname with an intensity and desperation he had never seen before and reluctantly he released his hold on the rogue hunter that had tried yet another attack on the pureblood. But this time, Kaname hadn't been alone, and Zero, after their little impromptu study session, was ready for him, dispelling the rogue but not before being gravely injured himself.

Yagari was quick to restrain the rogue hunter once Kaname let go of him, but Kaname paid him no mind as he focused all his attentions on Zero who was slowly taking on the ashen look vampires took on before their solid forms faded to dust.

Using a sharpened fang, the vampire pierced through his own tongue causing the blood to fill his mouth. He was quick to press his lips against the cold ones before him as he set him to the ground gently, forcing the blood into his mouth and down his throat. Then he moved to press compressions against the hunter's chest, cringing when he felt the ribs beneath his hands break as he did so, but pushing past it as a Zero with a few broken ribs was nothing so long as he was fucking _alive._

"Zero, come on. Wake _up_." Authority lacing his voice as if he could forcibly _will_ the hunter awake.

And finally, _finally_ he was. The figure coughed beneath him, blood dribbling from his lips as he did and Kaname didn't know if it was his own or Zero's and he honestly didn't care, because at least the hunter was breathing now which was more than he could say before.

Kaname was quick to lift his head up from the ground, making it easier for Zero to breathe as he tried to gasp for air after his lungs had been deprived of it after being, you know.. dead. The pureblood rested his forehead against that of the hunter's, eyes fluttering shut in sheer relief that the hunter was here and breathing.

He lifted a finger to wipe the blood away from his lips before placing a kiss on them. Kaname pulled away to look into Zero's eyes and Zero blinked up at him, giving him a weak smile. "I think we're even, yeah?" he said, his voice cracked and hoarse, yet still music to his ears.

"Yeah." He repeated, feeling a bit breathless himself.

 **Okay wow. I'm trash. If you have any comments, criticisms, etc feel free to let me know, I greatly welcome anything that will encourage me to be a better writer and will help me write these two together better as I am currently working on a multi-chapter fic, but don't want to post anything before I get these two nerds' characterization right.**


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